


Cold Iron

by orphan_account



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-13
Updated: 2015-04-13
Packaged: 2018-03-22 15:28:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3733969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon Monroe is the son of a king, lost during a hunt. In the forest, he meets a mysterious person and can't help but be intrigued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Iron

Simon Monroe was lost. Hopelessly lost. He had been riding around this forest all morning, his horse treading useless circles in the mossy dirt, but he still had no clue where his men had gone off to or where he actually was. It was now past noon, at least judging by the position of the sun, and he was hungry and exhausted. His father would have expected him home ages ago, and the king was the last person he wanted to make angry.

“Hello?” he called out. “Is anyone there?” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something dart past him. “Hello?” he called again. “Can anyone hear me?” He heard a crackle behind him. He whipped around to see that no one was there. “Alright, very funny,” he said, “but joke’s over. I want to go home.” The bushes ahead of him rustled. He climbed off his horse and left it, cautiously followed the sound. The rustling stopped, and he paused where he was and looked around, searching for where the source of the sound could have gone. Over his shoulder he saw a shape flit by before disappearing.

“Who’s there?”

No answer. He moved in the direction he had seen the shape go. He saw nothing and was about to give up entirely and return to his horse when he suddenly stumbled into a clearing. It was green and marshy, a complete contrast to the dark woods surrounding it. On the other side of the clearing was a patch of shrubbery, and behind it he saw an outline.

“Who are you?” he said. “I know you’re there, I can see you.”

The shape stood up. It was a person, although, Simon realized as he looked closer, perhaps not an entirely human one. He was pale, with eyes like pools of darkness and strawberry hair haloing his head. Something about him seemed insubstantial, and he almost seemed to flicker around the edges.

“Who are you?” Simon said again, softer. The person sighed.

“I’m a fay,” he said. His voice was like music, and Simon shivered. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“What’s your name?” Simon said, ignoring the last comment.

“Kieren,” he replied, and something about the way he hesitated made Simon think he wasn’t being entirely truthful. He remembered hearing something, a long time ago, about the power a fay’s real name had over them. Regardless, he was glad to at least have something to call this stranger who had appeared before him.

“Nice to meet you, Kieren. I’m Simon.”

“You’re the prince.”

“How did you know that?”

Kieren said nothing, instead giving Simon a steady, measured look that made him want to shrink away or move closer, he wasn’t sure which.

“Nevermind,” Simon muttered.

“What are you doing here?”

“I was on a hunting expedition and I somehow got lost. I don’t suppose you’ve seen a group of very loud men pass through here?”

Just then he heard his own name echoing through the forest.

“Ah. That would be them,” he said, turning in the direction of the sound. But when he looked back Kieren was gone.

That night at dinner, Simon stared vacantly at a wall as he pushed his food around his plate halfheartedly. His father gave him several warning looks, but everytime he tried to focus on the conversation around him his mind just wandered back to the memory of a pair of dark eyes, gazing at him as a soft voice told him _You shouldn’t be here_. Several lords and ladies asked about that day’s hunt, and Simon assured them he had killed nothing, as he’d been far too busy stumbling around the woods all day, and then, thoughts returning to the events of the day, he went back to staring at empty space.

And that night he lay awake, eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling, imagining those eyes staring back at him. He didn’t sleep at all.

A week went by and still Kieren weighed on Simon’s mind. He hadn’t even been sure before meeting Kieren that fay existed at all, but now he knew and he was fascinated. It wasn’t just the concept of Kieren that had Simon so intrigued, though. There was something about Kieren specifically, something about his stare and the quirk of his mouth as he had questioned Simon that left him perplexed and a little amazed. It was this sense of confusion and wonder that finally led Simon to a decision. He woke early one morning, before anyone else, saddled his horse, and returned to the forest for the first time since their meeting. He wandered for quite a while, and then when he felt sufficiently lost, began to call Kieren’s name. His efforts were fruitless. His voice grew tired, and he was about to turn back when he heard a familiar rustle. He whipped around to see Kieren standing there with a look of apprehension on his face.

“Oh no,” said Kieren. “No no no.” He started to back away. Simon leapt from his horse and reached out to grab Kieren’s arm. He was a little shocked to find it was actually solid. Kieren looked equally shocked at the sudden contact. He moved to pull away.

“Hang on,” Simon gasped. “I’ve been looking for you all morning.” He dropped Kieren’s arm and Kieren rubbed at it but didn’t go anywhere.

“What do you want, Simon?”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“I want to get to know you. I’ve never met anyone like you.”

“No shit.”

Simon blinked in surprise. He wasn’t sure what answer he had expected, but that wasn’t it. “No, I mean, I don’t mean just that. Honestly, I don’t know what I mean. If you really want me to go, I will.” He turned to go.

“Wait.”

Simon turned back around.

“Alright,” said Kieren.

Simon beamed.

“But just know I’m making a serious exception. I don’t usually speak to humans at all.”

“Noted.”

“So,” Kieren continued, “how was the rest of your hunt?”

“I didn’t catch anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Of course you didn’t.”

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

“Well, you never do, do you?”

“How do you…?”

Kieren shook his head, suddenly flustered.

“Kieren, how do you know that?”

Kieren looked around helplessly. “You–” he broke off.

“What?”

“You weren’t ever supposed to see me,” he muttered, almost too low for Simon to hear. Simon gaped for a second and then burst out laughing.

“Shut up,” Kieren mumbled, and Simon just shook his head, still smiling.

“Come on,” said Simon, nudging Kieren. “Let’s go for a walk, I have time to kill.”

“What about your horse?”

“She won’t go anywhere, believe me.”

“If you say so.”

Simon almost reached out to grab Kieren’s hand before realizing how strange Kieren would probably find it. Instead they walked side by side, occasionally holding branches out of each other’s way. They talked about nothing in particular. Simon’s life in the castle, Kieren’s life in the forest, what they did in their spare time. Simon mentioned a love of music and Kieren replied that he felt the same. Simon made a mental note of that.

They eventually circled back to where Simon’s horse was still standing, chewing at a patch of grass.

“I should really go, they’ll be looking all over for me by now.”

“Go on then,” said Kieren, smiling. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” said Simon, “I’d like that.” Then he climbed onto his horse and rode back to the castle as quickly as he could.

As soon as he returned, Simon was greeted by a swarm of people all wondering where he had gone off too, his father included. He muttered something about alone time, for once in his life before climbing the stairs to his room. He shut the door and leaned against it, heart pounding. He felt giddy. He had found Kieren again, they had talked, he had seemed friendly, even. They might even become friends. Simon liked the thought of that, and he crossed the room to flop onto his bed and start planning out their next meeting in his head.

Two days went by and Simon was too caught up in his responsibilities to sneak away and see Kieren. Still, he couldn’t get him out of his head, and he waited impatiently for a chance to slip out on another early morning ride into the forest. On the third day, there was nothing that needed doing until that evening, and he leapt at the chance. This time, he slung a small harp over his shoulder before leaving.

This time Kieren was far easier to find, probably because he was expecting Simon and not trying to stay out of sight. He was sitting up in a tree at the edge of the forest, and when he saw Simon coming he leapt to the ground.

“Been busy?” he asked, smirking.

“It’s been mad.”

“I’m actually surprised you came as soon as you did, with all those princely duties.” There was a hint of mocking in his voice, which Simon chose to ignore. Kieren then looked over Simon’s shoulder. “What have you got there?”

Simon slid the harp off his shoulder and held it out. “You said you liked music, so….” He trailed off.

Kieren grinned. “Go on, play something then,” he said. Simon sat down beneath a large tree and began plucking the strings, playing a familiar folk song. After a few measures, Kieren joined in, singing. Occasionally he threw in some incorrect and rather rude lyrics, causing Simon’s fingers to stumble as he looked up at Kieren, first in shock and then, once he was used to it, mock disapproval. Kieren sang some verses Simon had never heard before, some of them beautiful and poetic and others that Kieren had clearly made up on the spot just to be sarcastic. It was during one of these verses that Simon finally had to stop playing, laughing so hard he couldn’t coordinate his fingers properly anymore. Kieren laughed too, mostly at Simon’s mistakes.

“You have a nice voice,” said Simon, and Kieren blushed.

“You play the harp well,” he replied, “when you’re not screwing up.” Simon kicked Kieren’s foot in response.

Suddenly Simon jumped to his feet. “Shit, I should get back.”

“Already? I guess you have princely duties today after all.”

“Strictly speaking, not till this evening, but I’d rather not have them notice I’m gone if I can avoid it.”

“Come back soon, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

With that, Simon took off toward the castle, hoping he hadn’t been missed.

He had been. His father gave him a very serious look but said nothing, guessing correctly that Simon wouldn’t be willing to disclose where he’d been. Simon climbed the stairs to his room and opened his wardrobe. Might as well pick out his clothes for tonight’s banquet now. He shuffled through the array of tunics and robes, sighing to himself. The truth was, he realized with mild surprise, he didn’t really care how he looked if Kieren wasn’t there. There would be numerous beautiful noblewomen there that night and Simon didn’t care about any of them. He pushed that thought away and started pulling various articles of clothing off their hooks and flinging them on his bed, where he could inspect them further. He held them up side by side and finally settled on a tolerable combination which he set aside for later. He was not looking forward to tonight.

Simon was unspeakably relieved the next morning when he saw Kieren waiting for him on the edge of the forest. Finally, someone whose presence he could tolerate. He waved and again Kieren leapt down from his tree to greet him.

“How was last night?” he asked Simon.

“Awful, my father spent all night trying to marry me off to an assortment of women.”

“Were they pretty?”

“Very.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad then.”

“It wouldn’t be, but I’m not….” He looked at the ground.  “I don’t….”

“ _Oh_ ,” said Kieren.

“Yeah,” said Simon.

“That might be a problem.”

“You think?”

“Does your father know?”

“How do I tell him something like that? ‘Sorry, Father, there aren’t going to be anymore heirs to the throne because I could never bring myself to marry a woman.’ That would go well.”

Kieren burst out laughing and Simon scowled at him for a moment before shaking his head and joining him.

“So have you brought me anything today?” Kieren gave Simon a cheeky grin.

“I have, actually.” Simon reached into his coat and pulled out a small book. “Do you like poetry?”

Kieren looked thrilled.

Simon leaned against a tree and Kieren sat across from him, and Simon began reading the poems out to him. Kieren closed his eyes and smiled as he listened to the rhythm of the words. Simon read every poem until finally he reached the last one. When he stopped, Kieren’s eyes fluttered open.

“What?” Kieren asked.

“That’s all there is.”

“Oh.” Kieren looked slightly disappointed.

“I should probably go.”

“Yeah, alright.” He smiled weakly. “See you around.”

Simon nodded as he turned away, tucking the book back in his pocket.

“Where do you keep going off to?”

“Sorry?” Simon asked his father.

“You keep disappearing, every morning it seems. Where do you go?”

“Nowhere.”

“Simon, don’t think you can sneak off without me knowing about it, I’ll find out where you’re going eventually. It’ll be easier for everyone if you just tell me.”

“Nothing to tell,” Simon said, and he turned his back on his father and left before he was asked any more questions.

 

He didn’t go out again for the next few mornings, hoping to avoid his father’s watchful eye. He made a point of arriving at breakfast every morning and making a show of being present, and not in the forest where he wanted to be. He kept it up for as long as he could stand, but finally, after a week had gone by, he’d had enough. He needed to see Kieren again.

When he reached the forest, for a moment he didn’t see Kieren and he started to panic. Then Kieren emerged from among the thick branches and Simon let out a sigh of relief.

“There you are,” said Kieren. “I was starting to wonder if you were coming back.”

“My father, he got too curious about where I was going. I had to stay behind for a few days to throw him off.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re back.”

“So am I.”

“So,” said Kieren, suddenly grinning, “what do you have planned today?”

“Nothing, really, I just thought we might talk for a while.”

Simon settled down, leaning against the same tree he always did. Kieren came over and surprised Simon by laying down by him with his head resting in Simon’s lap. Simon nudged Kieren’s arm but let him stay where he was.

“This okay?” said Kieren.

“Of course.”

As they murmured words to each other, Simon picked leaves and twigs out of Kieren’s hair and ran his fingers gently through his strawberry locks. Kieren’s eyes drifted shut and his speech grew slower and more mumbled until it finally stopped. Simon listened to the soft sound of Kieren’s breathing and gazed down on his sleeping face. He was beautiful.

Suddenly Simon heard hoofbeats behind them. Kieren started awake and sat up, looking to the edge of the forest. “Shit,” he gasped, “I have to–“

A man burst forth from the bushes and tackled Kieren. He cried out in pain, trying to yank his arms out of the man’s grip. Simon jumped up to pull Kieren away but was grabbed from behind by another man. He watched helplessly as the man holding Kieren bound his hands in iron cuffs and dragged him to his feet. The two of them were dragged back to the edge of the woods where the men’s horses were waiting for them alongside Simon’s. Kieren was gracelessly flung over the back of one of them, and the man who had ahold of Simon shoved him toward his own horse.

“Get on. Don’t make me ask you twice.”

Simon looked over at Kieren. He had his eyes squeezed shut and he was trembling. Simon got on his horse and the men led him back to the castle wordlessly.

They were greeted by the king. “So that’s where you’ve been going,” he said. “Has this creature enchanted you then? Got you under his spell?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Simon.

“Well, don’t worry,” said the king, “We’ve got him now. You don’t have to be under his spell any longer. It’ll wear off soon.”

“No,” said Simon, “You don’t underst–“

“Quiet,” the king ordered, and Simon’s mouth slammed shut. He looked down at Kieren and he wanted to cry. He took a step toward him and one of the men stepped between them, giving him a challenging look. Simon glared back and then spun around and ran to his room. He slammed his door behind him and leaned his forehead against it, breathing deeply. This was his fault. He had to fix this. He stood there for what felt like ages, weighing his options. He took a deep breath and went back downstairs.

He went to the dungeon. The guard gave him a stern look. “You shouldn’t be down here, your highness.”

“Just let me through.”

An even sterner look.

“ _Please_.”

The guard stepped aside.

Simon pushed past him and practically ran down the corridor, searching for the cell where they were keeping Kieren. He would have missed it entirely, if not for a voice calling after him.

“Simon, is that you?”

Simon turned back and saw Kieren hovering by the bars of the cell, not touching them. Simon went to him, slipping his fingers between the bars.

“Kieren, I’m so sorry. This is all my–”

“Simon, stop. I don’t blame you.”

“How could you not?”

“It was my choice too. You would have left if I hadn’t asked you to stay. So don’t go blaming yourself when it was my fault too.” Kieren reached up and rested his own hand against Simon’s fingers, shuddering when he brushed up against the cool metal.

“Iron makes us sick,” he explained.

“I’m sorry.”

Kieren shook his head. “Can’t be helped.”

“I have to go, I don’t know what my father will do if he catches me here.”

“Go then.”

“I’ll be back.”

He didn’t leave his room again until that evening when his father sent one of his men to drag him downstairs and he was forced to trudge after him. He arrived at dinner to discover all the lords and ladies whispering amongst themselves in excitement. He caught someone murmur something about _what they caught in the woods today_ , and he felt sick. Then he looked across the room and there he was. Kieren was bound in iron chains, standing on a platform with a guard watching him closely. He swayed where he stood, eyes glazed over. He was even paler than usual, and Simon's heart lurched at the sight.

He tried to make his way to Kieren, but there were too many people in the room and he couldn’t make it past all the courtiers pointing and gasping at the creature before them. Kieren looked up and met Simon’s eye from across the room, and all Simon could do was mouth “I’m so sorry.”

Kieren shook his head and looked like he was about to mouth something back, when suddenly he shuddered and fell to his knees. The people watching laughed and cheered, and Simon thought he might vomit. This beautiful creature, his friend, kept here as cheap entertainment. And it was because of him. He didn’t care what Kieren said, if he hadn’t insisted on coming back all those times, making Kieren break his rules about not talking to humans, this never would have happened. Kieren would still be free, living his life peacefully in the forest. He would be so much better off.

Simon’s father beckoned him to sit next to him, and Simon grudgingly did as he was told.

“Why are you doing this?” Simon said.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You know very well what I mean. Why are you keeping him here? Why not let him go?”

“The people have taken a liking to him. How can I say no to them?”

“You do it all the time,” Simon mumbled.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“He cast a spell over you, we can’t let him off easily. We have him bound in iron chains, so he can’t use his magic anymore.”

“The iron is killing him, can’t you see that?”

“You know I can’t just let him go.”

“Yes you can,” said Simon, voice growing louder, “because he didn’t cast a spell over me.”

Simon’s father just shook his head. “You’ll realize soon. And then you’ll see why I’m doing this. You’ll understand.”

Simon stood, slamming his palms on the table. The dishes clattered and a fork bounced onto the floor. He opened his mouth to respond to his father, but found he had nothing to say to him, only wordless anger. He whipped around to storm off, and again Kieren caught his eye. Now he was kneeling and shaking violently, looking like he was about to be horribly sick. A guard was hovering over him, taunting him. Simon saw a set of keys dangling from the guard’s belt. This gave him an idea.

Simon came up behind the guard just as Kieren began to retch. He winced in sympathy as Kieren emptied the contents of his stomach onto the platform before the jeering spectators. As the guard leaned over Kieren, Simon crouched down, hidden by the guard’s body, and unhooked the key from its chain, then dove away before anyone could become suspicious of him. He tucked it away for later and crept out of the dining room.

That night he sneaked down to the dungeons for a second time. He tiptoed down the corridor, checking for guards. All he saw was one guard slumped against a wall, long asleep. He slipped past him and found Kieren’s prison door. He saw Kieren facing the back wall with his knees drawn up to his chest.

“Kieren,” he hissed.

Kieren’s head spun around. “What are you doing here?” he whispered.

“I’m here to get you out.”

“How?”

Simon dangled the key in the air, then slipped it in. It clicked, unlocking the door.

“Where did you get that?”

“I lifted it off the guard while you were getting sick.”

“Simon, what if you get caught?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine, but you won’t be, if you stay here.”

Kieren just stared at him.

“Well, come on, then, Kieren.”

Kieren stood shakily and Simon stepped closer and held out a hand to help steady him. Kieren fell against him, and Simon thought for a second he had lost his balance until he felt Kieren’s arms wrap around him and pull him closer. Simon returned the embrace. Then he pulled back.

“You know, they're saying that you've somehow enchanted me, or put a spell over me or something.”

Kieren looked up into Simon’s eyes. “Simon, you know–you know I would never do that to you.”

“Yeah, I know, I just–”

“I know, Simon. I know." He pulled Simon close again and they stood that way for a long moment. This time it was Kieren who finally pulled back.

“If I’m going, I should probably go now.”

“Kieren.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want you to feel any obligation to see me ever again, or risk being trapped here again, or anything like that, but I just want you to know….” He looked around himself helplessly.

“What, Simon?”

Simon looked back into Kieren’s eyes. “I want you to know that I love you.”

He felt time freeze as Kieren stared back at him. His heart pounded as he waited for a reaction. What if it was entirely the wrong thing to say, what if Kieren didn’t feel the same at all, what if he was angry?”

And then Kieren grabbed hold of the front of Simon’s tunic and pulled him into a desperate kiss.

At first Simon was too shocked to move, but then the reality set in and he kissed back, pouring into it all the feeling that had built up over the course of their meetings in the forest, and all his apologies for getting them into this mess.

Kieren pulled away, and Simon felt an ache at the loss of contact.

“I have to go.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know.”

Kieren gave Simon one last desperate look. And then he was gone.

Simon woke the next morning wondering if what had happened the night before was even real. But the softness of Kieren’s lips against his was too vivid in his memory to have been imagined. He lay there as long as possible, imagining that kiss over and over, avoiding the inevitable chaos Kieren’s disappearance had surely caused by now. And then there was a knock at his door.

Simon dragged himself out of bed and flung open his door to see his fuming father.

“Where is he?”

“Who?”

“Don’t be coy, Simon, where is that creature?”

“How should I know?”

“He’s escaped and I’d bet anything you had something to do with it.”

“I don’t see what I have to do with anything. He’s a fay. They’re capable of all sorts of things, as you’ve helpfully pointed out.” Simon slammed the door. He knew he’d get hell for it later, especially the way his father was now pounding at the door, but right now he didn’t care.

Over the course of the next few weeks, Simon thought many times about going to the forest to try and find Kieren again. Every time he thought better of it, knowing full well that even if Kieren was still there, which he doubted, going to see him would just lead the king’s men straight to him and he’d be trapped all over again. And it might not be so simple getting him out a second time.

Still, Kieren was a constant presence in Simon’s mind. He remembered all their moments together, how happy he had been in that forest. Most of all, he remembered how blissfully calm and content he had felt in those moments just before they were caught, fingers running through Kieren’s hair. Sometimes he missed those moments so much it physically hurt. But time passed, and he didn’t see Kieren again. It wasn’t as if he really expected to, not when there was such a risk of him being caught if anyone saw him. Still, Simon held on to a thread of hope that he might somehow find a way. But there was nothing.

One morning he emerged from his room and heard servants and courtiers all buzzing about a mysterious visitor. He hid around a corner and eavesdropped on two maids gossiping.

“I heard he’s a prince, from some place I’ve never heard of.”

“Where is he now?”

“The throne room, greeting the king.”

“I wonder why he’s here.”

Curious, Simon went to the throne room to see the visitor for himself. He swung the door open and stopped as the stranger turned to meet his eyes. There was something about him Simon couldn’t quite put his finger on. He tilted his head, eyebrows knitting together despite himself.

Then the stranger winked. And for a second his outline flickered and Simon saw someone else in his place. He had to hold himself back from gasping.

It was him. His skin was warmer, his eyes less dark, his hair a duller color, but it was him. Simon backed out of the room, letting the door swing shut after him. He heard the muffled sound of the visitor excusing himself, and then the door opened again.

“Kieren?” Simon whispered. Kieren pressed a finger to Simon’s lips, silencing him. He grabbed onto Simon’s arm and pulled him into a nearby spare room, shutting the door behind them.

“Kieren, what are you doing here?”

“I had to see you.”

“They’ll recognize you.”

“Don’t be silly, only you know me that well.” Saying this, his shape flickered again and suddenly he looked exactly as Simon remembered him.

“How do you do that, anyway?”

“I’m magic, silly,” Kieren teased, standing on his toes to rub noses with Simon. Simon sighed happily. Suddenly he thought of something.

“I heard a servant say she’d never heard of your kingdom. Does it even exist?”

“It does now,” said Kieren.

“Can you do that too, then?”

Kieren just smiled.

“So are you here to stay?”

“I’ll figure something out. I love you too, you know. I didn’t get to say that last time.”

Simon pulled Kieren into a kiss. It was even more perfect than he had remembered, and he sighed against Kieren’s mouth, running his fingers through his soft hair like he had that day in the forest. Kieren rested his hand on Simon’s face, drawing him closer.

When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. “Missed you,” Kieren murmured.

“Missed you too, Kieren. God, I missed you.” He clutched Kieren’s hand, not wanting to break away completely.

“I should probably go. Your father and I were in very close conference when you showed up.” Kieren smiled, that cheeky smile Simon had missed so much. Simon reluctantly let go of Kieren’s hand.

“I’ll see you.”

“Goodbye, Simon.” Kieren slipped out the door. Simon stayed where he was for a very long time, trying to wrap his head around how lucky he was.

That night, Kieren dined with them, seated next to Simon. They kicked each other under the table, sharing secret glances when no one was looking. As the servants brought out dessert, Kieren reached under the table, taking Simon’s hand in his. Simon turned his head in surprise and Kieren met his eyes, smiling. Simon thought he might melt. He ran his thumb in circles across the back of Kieren’s hand, returning his smile and not even caring if his father saw. All he cared was that Kieren was here with him, looking into his eyes and ignoring the cake set in front of them.

It was only when a lord sat across from them coughed conspicuously that they realized the attention their stares were getting. They both blushed, dropping each other’s hands and grabbing their forks, trying to make up for lost time on their desserts to avoid any more suspicion. Still, throughout the rest of the meal they stole glances at each other when they thought no one would notice.

Kieren’s room was down the hall from Simon’s, and they said goodnight as they parted ways. Simon had a strange feeling, though, so he waited up until he heard the last bit of commotion as other members of the household prepared for bed. Finally he heard the last of it go silent, and he sat up straighter, listening. And then there it was. A soft tap on his door. Simon cracked open the door and peeked out. Kieren stood before him.

“Missed me already?” Simon teased. Kieren just brushed past him, pushing the door shut. He flung himself forward, pressing his lips to Simon’s. Simon caught him, kissing him back with equal enthusiasm. Kieren dragged him backward, landing on the bed. Simon landed next to him. They kissed for ages, until Kieren became drowsy, and then Simon wrapped him up in his arms, pulling him down to lay with his head resting on the pillows. Kieren nestled into Simon’s side, and they lay there until morning came.

****  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Oh my god, this is only my second fanfiction I've ever written, I'm very nervous. Also I just made a new tumblr separate from my personal one that's entirely In the Flesh stuff I've made, so that's here: http://hearteyesmonroe.tumblr.com/ I'll also post whenever I write a new story.


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